Whoever said that good things come in three was sorely misguided. (Was it Jack Tripper? Beetlejuice? The Grim Reaper of celebrity deaths?) No, my fellow Big Brother fans, our favorite summer TV guilty pleasure has taught us year after year that the best things come in twos. Chilltown, Brenchel, and, of course, the double eviction.
Over the past few seasons, the double eviction has brought fans relief (so long, Season 10's Ollie!) and overwhelming dread (if only Dumbledore could save you, Season 13's Jeff!). But during last night’s doozy of an episode, the double eviction managed to fill us both with overdue relief and surprising dread.
Because while Boogie was sent packing in the first few minutes of the episode — dressed as Payne Stewart-meets-Don Johnson on his way to the candy shop with 50 Cent — the numbers were hardly in support of Chilltown 2.0 (or, as my colleague Brian Moylan nicknames them, Froogie) surviving the week. But Frank, who has enjoyed so many ups and downs in the Big Brother house that I hope the Have-Not closet is stashed with Fruit Loops and Xanax, managed to squeak by another week, winning the Power of Veto following Head of Household and Quack Packer Ian’s nominations. Instead, Ashley was sent out the door before she could count to 10, which I’m pretty sure she’s still trying to do.
And I feel for our young, newly hairless, devoted Big Brother player. Not only did his plan to completely dissolve Chilltown 2.0 in the matter of one week come just short of succeeding, but Ian also didn’t get the opportunity to enjoy the full Head of Household experience in the house. Add to that the fact that he instead sent out his flirtshowmance partner, and created an enemy in former ally Frank, and the smooth road Ian had orchestrated just got as bumpy as his man nipples.
Not that he made the smartest choices throughout his very short run as Head of Household. It’s unclear whether it served him well to fess up to Boogie following his mentor’s eviction — the revelation that Boogie would “see things you don’t like” enabled the evicted houseguest to tell Frank that Ian was “not to be trusted,” already shedding doubt in the houseguest’s mind before a vital Head of Household. Then again, the move not only eventually won Boogie’s respect — after Ian had told him in his goodbye message that “I learn from the best, and that is why you’re sitting there right now” — but also at last established Ian as a threat and powerful player before the first houseguest was sent into the jury house.
Of course, knowing that Frank is a tough competitor — and knowing that the previous challenge that allowed him to nab Head of Household, "Before and After," was a mental game — Ian perhaps should have anticipated that the Power of Veto competition would play to Frank’s physical strengths. In fact, if he’s been paying attention since Day 1 in the house — and let’s face it, Ian might as well fill out a Scantron with the way he’s studying the game — he should know that Big Brother’s producers will always find a way to play to Frank’s strengths. Wouldn’t it have been better to plan to backdoor Sid Vicious’ son?
Either way, it certainly would have been better for audiences if the house had decided to keep the hilariously inarticulate Ashley and voted to oust Joe — who, as we learned last night, is far more enjoyable silent — or Jenn, who got embarrassingly riled up following her nomination as pawn. (As Ian said in the Diary Room, “She couldn’t be a bigger pawn right now against a legend of the game.”) But while Jenn’s anger is as laughable as Ashley’s first comment to Chenbot out the door (“I love your side pony!”), Frank’s tirade could end up reversing his luck. Not only did Frank begin the night alongside a bullying Boogie — who channeled his inner Regina George to attack Shane and Dan (“I, like, bad hairlines, you know what I mean?”) — while he could have been attempting to form last-minute alliances with Danielle and other fringe members of the Quack Pack, but live footage from Thursday’s show also seemed to indicate Frank’s continuing in Boogie’s footsteps by prolonging his tear. During Big Brother’s early weeks, Frank proved himself to be a promising player because of his seemingly unflappable nature. The houseguest was placed on the block more times than he could blink (which is a lot), and still never lost his cool. But now, thanks to the schooling of his bitter coach, Frank has started to play the offense without any defense to back him up. (That clap you just heard was Dan approving of that metaphor.) That sort of assholery will only make him lonelier than Ian on a Big Brother mixer night — and more likely to head straight to the couches next week.
But, for now, we only say goodbye to Big Brother: All Stars winner Boogie — a player so entertaining and egomaniacal, he gets furious for being both nominated for eviction and not nominated for eviction — and Ashley, a player so dim and incoherent, she’ll have a show on E! within the week. So, in honor of the entertaining player’s sad exit, let’s excerpt her final plea in the house: “Obviously, I’m not articulate. I can’t express myself the way others do. I don’t have that talent.” Oh, lady, you were made for reality TV.
Best double eviction episode ever? Now get to steppin’, you crazy kids!
Follow Kate on Twitter @HWKateWard
[Image Credit: CBS]
Big Brother Recap: A Wolf in Geek's Clothing
Big Brother Recap: Quack Pack Attack
Big Brother Recap: Flip Your Wig

Everyone knew that Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg were leaving Saturday Night Live at the end of this past season, but now comes the surprise news that Abby Elliot won't be returning either. An all-purpose player, Elliot has been doing celebrity impersonations on the show for four years, lampooning stars like Anna Faris, Zooey Deschanel, and, famously, Khloe Kardashian.
While Elliot has been getting roles in movies (like No Strings Attached and the upcoming High Road) she's not necessarily leaving for another gig. She initially thought about leaving the show when being cast as the female lead in Fox's sitcom Ben and Kate, a role that was eventually recast with Dakota Johnson (sorry, lady, but there's only room enough for one Dakota in Hollywood).
Since she's not working on a TV show, maybe it's time for Abbey to get together with her dad Chris Elliot and bring back Get a Life? Guess not. So, until then, let us remember Abbey for her genius, including this light skewering of none other than Ms. Meryl Streep.
Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan
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The new fall pilots haven't even premiered yet, but already the networks are looking forward to their next big task: finding the right pilots and scripts to order for the 2013-2014 season. Development season is well underway and has been for the past few weeks — although this season is marked by a declaration from some networks (namely ABC and NBC) that the typically order-happy suits would not be as quick to bulk up their pilot orders this year. In other words, less is more.
Most of the majors have already made their first-round choices for specific projects, and the trends that have emerged seem to be all about big-name attachments (e.g. Vince Vaughn, Jodie Foster, Ryan Reynolds), period dramas (e.g. Aztec empire, Cold War America, 1890s Europe), international transplants (from Israel, England and Scandinavia) and — in an interestingly-revived yet well-worn trend — book adaptations (including Dracula and two Sleepy Hollow reboots).
Here's what ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX, NBC and more have coming down the '13-'14 pipeline so far:
ABC
— Dumb F*ck: Single-camera comedy about an average Joe and his brilliant wife who move in with her intelligent yet emotionally stunted family of geniuses; written by Hank Nelken (Saving Silverman), executive produced by Vin Di Bona, Bruce Gersh, Susan Levison and Shaleen Desai.
— Burns &amp; Cooley: Medical procedural about two New York neurosurgeons who compete as they strive to be the top in all aspects of their lives; written by Meredith Philpott (Awkward), exec produced by Matt Gross (Body Of Proof).
— Founding Fathers: Drama about a war veteran whose Texas hometown is in the hands of a militia group led by his older brother; written by Rich D'Ovidio (Thir13en Ghosts), produced by Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Dan McDermott.
— Untitled McG Project: Retelling of Romeo and Juliet, revolving around two rival families fighting for control over Venice, California; written by Byron Balasco (Detroit 1-8-7), produced by McG (The OC, Supernatural, Nikita).
— Untitled Kurtzman/Orci Project: Drama about a mysterious game; written by Noah Hawley (The Unusuals), produced by Heather Kadin, Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci.
NBC
— Dracula: 1890s-set period piece about the iconic vampire; written by Cole Haddon, produced by Tony Krantz and Colin Callender; starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors).
— The Blacklist: Drama about an international criminal who surrenders himself and helps the government hunt down his former cohorts; written by Jon Bokenkamp, exec produced by John Davis, John Fox and John Eisendrath.
— Hench: Based on the comic about a man who becomes a temp for super villains; written by Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives), exec produced by Peter Berg and Sarah Aubrey (Prime Suspect).
— Cleopatra: Period drama about the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; written by Michael Seitzman (Americana), exec produced by Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Dan McDermott.
— Pariah: Drama inspired by Freakonomics about a rogue academic who uses economic theory to police San Diego; written by Kevin Fox (The Negotiator), exec produced by Kelsey Grammer, Stella Stolper and Brian Sher.
— After Hours/The Last Stand: Medical drama about Army doctors who work the night shift at a San Antonio hospital; revisited from last season; written by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah.
— Untitled Parkes/MacDonald Project: Drama about an interpreter at the United Nations who works with diplomats and politicians from around the world; written by Tom Brady (Hell on Wheels), produced by Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald and Ted Gold.
— Untitled Charmelo/Snyder Project: New Orleans-set drama, described as a "sexy Southern Gothic thriller"; created by Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder (Ringer), exec produced by Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan.
— Untitled Rand Ravich Project: Drama-thriller following a secret service agent at the center of an international crisis in Washington, DC; created by Rand Ravich (Life), produced by Far Shariat.
CBS
— Island Practice: Based on the book Island Practice: Cobblestone Rash, Underground Tom, and Other Adventures Of A Nantucket Doctor, about an eccentric doctor with a controversial medical practice on an island off the coast of Washington; written by Amy Holden Jones (Mystic Pizza, Beethoven), produced by Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo and Oly Obst.
— The Brady Bunch: Reboot of the series, about a divorced Bobby Brady who re-marries a woman with children of her own; written by Mike Mariano (Raising Hope), co-developed and exec produced by Vince Vaughn (Sullivan &amp; Son).
— A Welcome Grave: Based on the book series about a private investigator who comes under suspicion when a rival turns up dead.
— Backstrom: Based on the book series about a House-like detective who tries to change his self-destructive nature; written by Hart Hanson (Bones), produced by Leif G.W. Persson (novel) and Niclas Salomonsson.
— Ex-Men: Single-camera comedy about a young guy who moves into a short-term rental complex and befriends the other men who live there after being kicked out by their wives; written and directed by Rob Greenberg; starring Chris Smith and Kal Penn.
The CW
— Sleepy Hollow: Contemporary reinterpretation of the Sleepy Hollow short story; written by Patrick Macmanus and Grant Scharbo, produced by Scharbo and Gina Matthews.
FOX
— Gun Machine: Based on an upcoming novel (of the same name) about a New York detective whose chance discovery of a stash of guns leads back to a variety of unsolved murders; written by Dario Scardapane (Trauma), produced by Warren Ellis (book author), Scardapane, Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope.
— Sleepy Hollow: Modern-day thriller based on the Sleepy Hollow short story, following Ichabod Crane and a female sheriff who solve supernatural mysteries; written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Fringe, Hawaii Five-0) and Phillip Iscove, produced by Heather Kadin and Len Wiseman.
— The Beach: Based on the 1996 novel and 2000 movie about a group of youths who try to start society over on a remote paradise; written by Andrew Miller (The Secret Circle).
— Hard Up: Single-camera comedy based on Israeli series about four twentysomething guys who are strapped for cash; written by Etan Frankel (Shameless), produced by John Wells.
— Lowe Rollers: Animated comedy about a struggling Titanic-themed casino in Las Vegas; written by Mark Torgove and Paul Kaplan (Outsourced) and Ash Brannon, produced by Ryan Reynolds, Jonathon Komack Martin, Steven Pearl and Allan Loeb.
— Untitled Chris Levinson Project: Cop drama about a detective who puts his life under surveillance when he begins to lose his memory; written by Chris Levinson (Touch), produced by Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope.
— Untitled Friend/Lerner Project: Drama set on an aircraft carrier following young naval officers and a female fighter pilot who tries to solve an onboard murder; written and produced by Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner (House).
— Untitled Ryan Reynolds Project: Half-hour comedy about a disgraced hotelier forced to manage a rundown airport hotel; written by Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay (Clash of the Titans), produced by Ryan Reynolds, Allan Loeb, Jonathon Komack Martin and Steven Pearl.
— Untitled Jason Katims Project: Romantic comedy about a single female attorney; written by Jason Katims (Parenthood, Friday Night Lights) and Sarah Watson.
HBO
— Getting On: U.S. adaptation of a British comedy about a group of nurses and doctors working in a women's geriatric wing of a run-down hospital; Big Love creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer to exec produce with Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner and Geoff Atkinson.
— Buda Bridge: Belgian-set crime drama about a woman who is found dead on a famous bridge in Brussels; written and directed by Michael R. Roskam (Bullhead), produced by Michael Mann (Luck) and Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad).
— Hello Ladies: Comedy about an oddball Englishman who chases women in Los Angeles; written, directed by and starring Stephen Merchant (The Office), produced by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (The Office).
SHOWTIME
— Angie's Body: Drama about a powerful woman at the head of a crime family; written by Rob Fresco (Heroes, Jericho), directed and executive produced by Jodie Foster, Fresco and Russ Krasnoff.
— Conquest: Period drama about Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, who clashes with the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II; written by Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries), produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo.
AMC
— Low Winter Sun: Based on 2006 British miniseries about the aftermath that follows the murder of a cop by a fellow detective; written by Chris Mundy; James Ransone, Ruben Santiago Hudson and Athena Karkanis to star.
— Those Who Kill: Based on Danish series about a detective and forensics scientist who track down serial killers; written by Glen Morgan, produced by Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo, Peter Bose and Jonas Allen, directed by Joe Carnahan.
— Untitled LaGravenese/Goldwyn Project: Legal thriller about an attorney who discovers new evidence that re-opens a sensational murder case; written by Richard LaGravenese, directed by Tony Goldwyn, exec produced by David Manson; Marin Ireland to star as female lead.
FX
— The Americans: Period drama about two KGB spies posing as Americans in Washington, DC; created by Joe Weisberg, exec produced by Weisberg, Graham Yost, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey; directed by Gavin O'Connor; Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich to star.
— The Bridge: Based on the Scandinavian series, about a murder investigation opened up after a dead body is discovered on a bridge connecting the United States and Mexico; written by Meredith Stiehm and Elwood Reid (Cold Case), produced by Carolyn Bernstein, Lars Blomgren and Jane Featherstone.
— Untitled Dr. Dre Project: One-hour drama about music and crime in Los Angeles; written by Sidney Quashie, exec produced by Dr. Dre.
Follow Marc on Twitter @MarcSnetiker
[Photo Credit: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW]

Just a day after football player and Dancing with the Stars participant Chad Ochocinco was arrested for domestic violence for allegedly headbutting his wife, Basketball Wives siren Evelyn Lozada, the Miami Dolphins canceled his contract. Now VH1 is follow suit and pulling the plug on Ev &amp; Ocho, the couple's new reality show.
The network has 11 episodes and a two-part finale (God, I hate those) about the couple's engagement and wedding all ready to go, and planned on rolling it out on September 3. Now, according to TMZ, the series got the axe and VH1 has no plans to ever air it. That headbutt is costing the network a whole lot of money. Better that, though, than all the bad press they'd get for showing this thing after the abuse allegations.
Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan
[Photo Credit: Wenn.com]
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Chad Ochocinco Thrown in Jail for Allegedly 'Headbutting' Wife Evelyn Lozada

If the sage wisdom of Tina Turner is to be believed, we don’t need another hero. This sentiment proves invaluable if you also subscribe to recent comments made by action movie icon Sylvester Stallone, who asserted that there are no action heroes anymore. Is he correct in this assessment? While one can understand how Stallone arrived at this notion, as a living legend whose career is winding to an inevitable conclusion, it can be argued that there are plenty of action heroes remaining. Some of them are just rising to prominence, some of them are experiencing resurgence, and some are challenging our conceptions of the cinematic action hero formula. These heroes give us the distinct impression that their ass-kicking skills are not limited to the big screen.
Scott Adkins
Mention a name like Sylvester Stallone and even those most averse to the action genre will recognize it. The same, sadly, cannot currently be said for Scott Adkins, but hopefully that obscurity is approaching its end. Adkins has been training in various styles of martial arts since he was a teenager and, after playing henchmen in several action movies, got his first starring role in 2006’s Undisputed II: Last Man Standing. Since then, he’s appeared in The Bourne Ultimatum, Ninja, and Undisputed III. Adkins has an intensity and presence as an actor matched only by his spectacular combat skills. His talents were impressive enough to land him a role in The Expendables 2, playing the right-hand man to his lifelong idol Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Donnie Yen
Though his increased popularity in the states is a recent development, Donnie Yen has been a movie star in his native China since the late 1980s. His portrayal of Yip Man, a martial arts teacher and Chinese folk hero who was one of Bruce Lee’s teachers, brought him a fresh batch of international attention. The fight sequences in Ip Man are lightning flurries of fist and foot that wowed batch after batch of festival audiences upon its release. Yen’s incredible speed and dizzying balance is a byproduct of his lifelong martial arts training. His own mother taught him tai chi and wushu from a very young age.
Gina Carano
One of director Steven Soderbergh’s greatest strengths is recognizing raw talent in unlikely places. He not only got an incredible performance out of Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight, but he also recognized the acting talents of British standup comic Eddie Izzard in Ocean’s 12 and Ocean’s 13. Most recently, he ventured to the world of mixed martial arts to find the star of his action thriller Haywire. Gina Carano was breaking barriers and records in MMA before she ever shattered bones in the film. She proved to be as graceful in her scene work as she is in the ring. Her status as an ass-kicker was confirmed long before the cameras started rolling, but we’re still excited to see her battle scripted opponents in the upcoming projects, including The Fast and the Furious 6.
Marko Zaror
You’ve probably seen Marko Zaror on the big screen and didn’t even know it. Early in his career, this Chilean martial artist doubled for the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the 2003 action comedy The Rundown. When you are deemed tough enough to step in when The Rock needs a stunt double, your ass-kicker status is undeniable. In Chile, Zaror is becoming quite the star in his own right. His insane acrobatics and rapid-fire striking power make his films — Mirageman, Kiltro, and Mandrill — spellbinding to behold. Off screen, he has demonstrated his phenomenal martial arts skills at festivals by executing double spin flips live on stage and even kicking over the top of a grown man’s head.
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich is by no means an unknown; she’s been appearing in films for going on twenty-five years. She has enjoyed ongoing success and a wide fanbase for her portrayal of Alice in the Resident Evil franchise. Watching her battle monsters and legions of the undead in these films, based on the popular videogame series, it’s clear that Jovovich is very comfortable in a fight. This may be derived from this stunning actress’ upbringing. She was born in what is now Ukraine, at the time part of the USSR. When she immigrated to the United States with her parents, she experienced a great deal of prejudice and hostility from her classmates; America still boiling with Cold War paranoia. Jovovich grew to be rebellious and somewhat reckless as a result of this. There is no doubting Jovovich is not to be trifled with, on or off the screen.
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Do the Bourne movies make any sense? Enough. The first three films — The Bourne Identity Supremacy and Ultimatum — throw in just enough detail into the covert ops babble and high-speed action that by the end Jason Bourne comes out an emotional character with an evident mission. That's where Bourne Legacy drops the ball. A "sidequel" to the original trilogy Legacy follows super soldier Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) as he runs jumps and shoots his way out of the hands of his government captors. The film is identical to its predecessors; political intrigue chase scenes morally ambiguous CIA agents monitoring their man-on-the-run from a computer-filled HQ — a Bourne movie through and through. But Legacy has to dig deeper to find new ground to cover introducing elements of sci-fi into the equation. The result is surprisingly limp and even more incomprehensible.
Damon's Bourne spent three blockbusters uncovering his past erased by the assassin training program Treadstone. Renner's Alex Cross has a similar do-or-die mission: after Bourne's antics send Washington into a tizzy Cross' own training program Outcome is terminated. Unlike Bourne Cross is enhanced by "chems" (essentially steroid drugs) that keep him alive and kicking ass. When Outcome is ended Cross goes rogue to stay alive and find more pills.
Steeped heavily in the plot lines of the established mythology Bourne Legacy jumps back and forth between Cross and the clean up job of the movie's big bad (Edward Norton) and his elite squad of suits. The movie balances a lot of moving parts but the adventure never feels sprawling or all that exciting. Actress Rachel Weisz vibrant in nearly every role she takes on plays a chemist who is key to Cross' chemical woes. The two are forced into partnership Weisz limited to screaming cowering and sneaking past the occasional airport x-ray machine while her partner aggressively fistfights his way through any hurdle in his path. Renner is equally underserved. Cross is tailored to the actor's strengths — a darker more aggressive character than Damon's Bourne but with one out of every five of the character's lines being "CHEMS!" shouted at the top of his lungs Renner never has the time or the material to develop him.
Writer/director Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton Duplicity and the screenwriter of the previous three movies) is a master of dense language but his style choices can't breath life into the 21st century epic speak. In the film's necessary car chase Gilroy mimics the loose camera style of Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass without fully embracing it. The wishy washy approach sucks the life out of large-scale set pieces. The final 30 minutes of Bourne Legacy is a shaky cam naysayer's worst nightmare.
The Bourne Legacy demonstrates potential without ever kicking into high gear. One scene when Gilroy finally slows down and unleashes absolute terror on screen is striking. Unfortunately the moment doesn't involve our hero and its implications never explained. That sums up Legacy; by the film's conclusion it only feels like the first hour has played out. The movie crawls — which would be much more forgivable if the intense banter between its large ensemble carried weight. Instead Legacy packs the thrills of an airport thriller: sporadically entertaining and instantly forgettable.
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The trailers for Hope Springs might lead you to believe it's a romantic comedy about a couple trying to jumpstart their sexless marriage but it causes more empathetic cringing than chuckles. Audiences will be drawn to Hope Springs by its stars Meryl Streep Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell and Streep's track record of pleasing summer movies like Julie &amp; Julia and Mamma Mia! that offer a respite from the blockbusters flooding theaters. Despite what its marketing might have you believe Hope Springs isn't a rom-com. The film is a disarming mixture of deeply intimate confessions by a married couple in the sanctuary of a therapist's office awkwardly honest attempts by that couple to physically reconnect and incredibly sappy scenes underscored by intrusive music. Boldly addressing female desire especially in older women it's hard not to give the movie extra credit for what writer Vanessa Taylor's script is trying to convey and its rarity in mainstream film. The ebb and flow of intimacy and desire in a long-term relationship is what drives Hope Springs and while there are plenty contrived moments and unresolved issues it is frankly surprising and surprisingly frank. It's a summer release from a major studio with high caliber stars aimed squarely at the generally underserved 50+ audience addressing the even more taboo topic of that audience's sex life.
Streep plays Kay a suburban wife who's deeply unsatisfied emotionally and sexually by her marriage to Arnold. Arnold who is played by Tommy Lee Jones as his craggiest sleeps in a separate bedroom now that their kids have left the nest; he's like a stone cold robot emotionally and physically and Kay tiptoes around trying to make him happy even as he ignores her every gesture. One of the most striking scenes in the movie is at the very beginning when Kay primps and fusses over her modest sleepwear in the hopes of seducing her husband. Streep makes it obvious that this isn't an easy thing for Kay; it takes all her guts to try and wordlessly suggest sex to her husband and when she's shot down it hurts to watch. This isn't a one time disconnect between their libidos; this is an ongoing problem that leaves Kay feeling insecure and undesirable.
After a foray into the self-help section of her bookstore Kay finds a therapist who holds week-long intensive couples' therapy sessions in Good Hope Springs ME and in a seemingly unprecedented moment of decisiveness she books a trip for the couple. Arnold of course is having none of it but he eventually comes along for the ride. That doesn't mean he's up for answering any of Dr. Feld's questions though. To be fair Dr. Feld (Carell) is asking the couple deeply intimate questions so if Arnold is comfortable foisting his amorous wife off with the excuse he had pork for lunch it's not so far-fetched to believe he'd be angry when Feld asks him about his fantasy life or masturbation habits.
Although Arnold gets a pass on some of his issues Kay is forthright about why and how she's dissatisfied. When Dr. Feld asks her if she masturbates she says she doesn't because it makes her too sad. Kay offers similar revelations; she's willing to bare it all to revive her marriage while Arnold thinks the fact that they're married at all means they must be happy. Carell's Dr. Feld is soothing and kind (even a bit bland) but it's always a pleasure to see him play it straight.
It's subversive for a mega-watt star to play a character that talks about how sexually unsatisfied she is and how unsexy she feels with the man she loves most in the world. The added taboo of Kay and Arnold's age adds that much more to the conversation. Kay and Arnold's attempts at intimacy are emotionally raw and hard to watch. Even when things get funny they're mostly awkward funny not ha-ha funny.
The rest of the movie is a little uneven wrapped up tightly and happily by the end. Their time spent soul-searching alone is a little cheesy especially when Kay ends up in a local bar where she gets a little dizzy on white wine while dishing about her problems to the bartender (Elisabeth Shue). Somewhere along the line what probably started out as a character study ended up as a wobbly drama that pushes some boundaries but eventually lets everyone off the emotional hook in favor of a smoothed-over happy ending. Still its disarming moments and performances almost balance it out. Although its target audience might be dismayed to find it's not as light-hearted as it would seem Hope Springs offers up the opportunity for discussion about sexuality and aging at a time when books and films like 50 Shades of Grey and Magic Mike are perking up similar conversations. In the end that's a good thing.

Award shows are rough. Sometimes, the planets align and the most admirable nominees become thoroughly deserving winners (here's looking at you, Modern Family Season 1); other times, the industry goes into freak-out mode when an unexpected win shakes the system (even Edie Falco didn't know that Nurse Jackie was a comedy!). Then, perhaps, there's the most tragic of all award show misfortunes: the infamous Emmy oversight. These are the cases of the meritorious should-be nominees, the actors and actresses who don't make it onto the ballot, yet whose shows would lack the key ingredients that make them successes in the first place should the non-nominees depart.
What's Parks and Rec without the marvelous, mustachioed Nick Offerman? Revenge without Madeleine Stowe's perfectly icy gazes? It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia without the never-sunny-yet-always-Sweet (Dee) Kaitlin Olson?
Over the last few weeks, our writers have made their case for a host of performers who should have gotten the call from Emmy long ago, but who have yet to be nominated for their often irreplaceable roles on television's best (and sometimes not-so-best) shows. Here are some choice excerpts:
Kelly Schremph on Smash's Megan Hilty (Ivy Lynn): "Hilty brings more to the table than just her musical chops — she (or rather her multi-layered character) also brings tons of drama. Hilty provides a depth to the series in areas where everyone else falls short. She conjures up just as much emotion in her onstage performances as she does to her offstage antics. Ivy has faced a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the first season and, in doing so, has really carried a majority of the plot. Think about it — without Hilty's scene-stealing moments and grand musical numbers, would Smash really be... well... a smash?"
Michael Arbeiter on Happy Endings' Adam Pally (Max Blum): "The humor and the softer side of Max are both attributed to the glorious performance of Pally. He makes the character mean, but lovable. Hilarious, but sad. Max is more than just a wise-cracking sidekick; he's a lonely man, stuck in the only routine with which he's comfortable. The way Pally carries Max through each episode is not only entertaining — it's extremely artistic. He's constantly looking for love all the while pushing it away. And he throws in a handful of Goonies references and sardonic remarks to boot. While everyone on Happy Endings should be applauded, Pally is the reigning champion."
Kelsea Stahler on Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson): "…let us consider that Offerman’s talent extends beyond delivering hilarious one-liners with the anti-gusto that makes his brow-furrowed character who he is — though you’ve got to love the way he grumbles about anything that isn’t steak, whiskey, or breakfast food. His greatest contribution to the character is the fact that he can quite literally steal an entire episode with only a single, fleeting expression… while much of that credit goes to the writers, the creation of any great TV character is born out of a symbiotic relationship between an actor and the folks who put words in his mouth. Without Offerman, there is no Ron Swanson."
Aly Semigran on Girls' Zosia Mamet (Shoshanna): "While other actresses would have been tempted to play too over-the-top or underplay Shoshanna's less attractive qualities (a spoiled rich girl with all the luxuries of Manhattan life at her disposal whose main objective seems to be finding a man), Mamet has carefully crafted her character into a motormouth princess who you would likely avoid in real life, but whose every sped-up word on Girls you hang on to. ('I'm so happy to see you, I could murder you.') Not to mention, she's the most likable one of the bunch… Mamet has made the playful yet nuanced Shoshanna both Girls' colorfully dressed black sheep and the one viewers most want to include in their own gang."
Shaunna Murphy on Mad Men's Kiernan Shipka (Sally Draper): "Shipka manages to steal every scene she's in. Though we love our Peggy, our Ken, and our Joan, it's Sally's experiences that are the most universally relatable, and it takes a very talented actor to make those experiences so emotionally powerful for the adults who went through them decades ago. Shipka makes it seem easy, and though we love Sunday night television's other female teen powerhouse (Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams as Arya Stark), it's Shipka that deserves the Emmy nomination this year. Thanks for making our own adolescence seem a little less terrifying in comparison."
Brian Moylan on Revenge's Madeleine Stowe (Victoria Grayson): "So often on television dramas you see the characters boiling over into histrionics and crying jags and pleading scenes where they're just asking for one man to love her. Never Ms. Stowe. It is all about control with her, not only of the other people around her, but over her own emotions. So often the Emmy goes to someone who is completely unhinged (congratulations on your inevitable victory, Claire Danes), but I think it's time that we bestow a trophy for the rarest of dramatic gifts: restraint."
Alicia Lutes on Veep's Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Selina Meyer): "Louis-Dreyfus has been in the game for ages, so she knows how to jump from cold to vulnerable to tedious to frazzled to sad to uppity to out-of-touch with a fluidity that is rarely seen in even the most practiced of dancers. Timing is everything in comedy, and when your comedic platform discusses the frenzied, constantly-moving multi-headed beast that is politics in America, well, you've got your work cut out for you. But not our girl Julia — oh no, no, no. She is in charge of at least one thing as Selina Meyer, and that is her comedic brilliance. There's no better sort of take-down than a comedy take-down, and home-girl is giving it to us."
Matt Patches on Awake's Jason Isaacs (Det. Michael Britten): "Issacs understands Britten in a way that makes him indefinitely malleable — a key to his ability of slipping back and forth between worlds. The perfect example of Killen's curveball-after-curveball strategy comes when Britten 'loses' his son's reality. Britten's groove is completely thrown off and Isaac sells it. Sometimes it's breakdown, breakdown, breakdown with Awake, but it always works thanks to Isaac's everyman quality. It's hard to imagine the man as the same guy who embodied the dastardly evil of Harry Potter's Lucius Malfoy."
Kate Ward on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Kaitlin Olson (Dee): "Credit Olson for being able to make you cheer for a woman you hope never to meet your entire life. She is one of the most unique actresses currently on television, playing a woman with little to no redeeming qualities outside of her ability to heavily binge drink… Not to mention the fact that Olson is one of the most gifted physical comediennes on television. Olson comes from the same school of physical comedy as former Emmy winners Lucille Ball, Debra Messing, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Add that to her spit-out-your-beer delivery of lines like "I will eat your babies, bitch!" and the actress' moxie (Olson once told me that she strongly lobbied for Dee to be just as terrible as the rest of her Paddy's cohorts, and not just act as "the girl" amongst horrible men), and it's hard not to hope that Olson will soon boast the award notoriety of comedy's most talented lady legends."
Kelsea Stahler on Shameless' Emmy Rossum (Fiona Gallagher): "Fiona’s load of issues is too much for one person, and taking on such a character is a feat for only the most talented, nimble actress. Rossum is just that. She tackles the mile-a-minute, inconsistent road of the Gallagher family rock with ease, switching from hot-and-heavy romance to motherly affection to stern, familial protector to losing her mind in the span of a single episode. She struggles with the feminist issue of being the eldest daughter and therefore being charged with the duty of taking her mother’s duty while her brothers frolic with their teenage tryst-mates. Rossum juggles the actress’ equivalent of her character’s harrowing load and she does so flawlessly."
Michael Arbeiter on Community's Danny Pudi (Abed): "While Pudi might be written off as a quirky sidekick character, he’s actually the lifeblood of Community. He’s the character with the most riveting emotional makeup, and quite often the character that commands the biggest laughs. Abed can most likely rattle off every Emmy winner in TV history. If there’s any justice in the world, he’d be adding Danny Pudi’s name to that list this fall."
Alicia Lutes on Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate): "In the world of comedy these days, awkward is king. And no one makes us feel more uncomfortable than Aubrey Plaza. And we mean that as a total compliment. No one has mastered the art of deadpan quite like her — and on a sitcom peppered with the hyper-enthusiasm of Leslie Knope, Tom Haverford, and her own husband (on the show) Andy Dwyer, her distaste for pretty much, well, everything is a fantastic foil for the show. To make a character like that not seem tedious and overdone is definitely no easy task, and April Ludgate-Dwyer's evolution over the past few seasons has shown her range. She is more than just the sarcastic girl, and for that we love her."
Brian Moylan on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: "That is why RHOBH is one of the best shows on television. It is like a gorgeous palace that was built on a tar pit and everyone once in awhile, the black ooze starts to bubble up all around it and all the ladies pretend like nothing is happening, like we can't see the inevitable disaster, but it's all there, all their hopes and fears, all their shattering omissions, all their deep dark regrets and bad behavior. It's all right there for us to see, and just like Willy Loman, that other great American tragic figure, demands: attention must be paid."
Kelly Schremph on Once Upon a Time's Robert Carlyle (Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin): "…if there's one thing audiences love, it's a challenge. Carlyle gives us something to dissect and continually propels the plot forward with his double-crossing antics. It's impossible to determine which side he's really on, which makes him all the more enthralling and a bit of a wild card. Basically, Carlyle has the uncanny ability to spin character development into gold... The writers may be the creators, but Carlyle brings it all to life, keeping the audience on their toes right up to the very last mischievous laugh."
Aly Semigran on New Girl's Jake Johnson (Nick): "A great straight man stands back and lets the leading lady or pratfall man take the center stage, an unsung hero who effortlessly elevates the material with a biting quip or thoughtful detail. He is the ultimate secret weapon to making an ensemble tick, something Jake Johnson most certainly does every week on New Girl. It's not as obvious or sexy to nominate or reward subtle work, but if anyone is a testament to be an unassuming, unexpected delight, it's Jake Johnson."
[Photo Credits: NBC/FX/Fox]
More:
2012 Emmy Longshots: Nick Offerman Had Us At "Meat Tornado"
2012 Emmy Longshots: Happy Endings Bear-in-Winter Adam Pally
2012 Emmy Longshots: Shameless Star Emmy Rossum, the 20-Something Matriarch

While recent animated blockbusters have aimed to viewers of all ages starting with fantastical concepts and breathtaking visuals but tackling complex emotional issues along the way Ice Age: Continental Drift is crafted especially for the wee ones — and it works. Venturing back to prehistoric times once again the fourth Ice Age film paints broad strokes on the theme of familial relationships throwing in plenty of physical comedy along the way. The movie isn't that far off from one of the many Land Before Time direct-to-video sequels: not particularly innovative or necessary but harmless thrilling fun for anyone with a sense of humor. Unless they have a particular distaste for wooly mammoths the kids will love it.
Ice Age: Continental Drift continues to snowball its cartoon roster bringing back the original film's trio (Ray Romano as Manny the Mammoth Denis Leary as Diego the Sabertooth Tiger and John Leguizamo as Sid the Sloth) new faces acquired over the course of the franchise (Queen Latifah as Manny's wife Ellie) and a handful of new characters to spice things up everyone from Nicki Minaj as Manny's daughter Steffie to Wanda Sykes as Sid's wily grandma. The whole gang is living a pleasant existence as a herd with Manny's biggest problem being playing overbearing dad to the rebellious daughter. Teen mammoths they always want to go out and play by the waterfall! Whippersnappers.
The main thrust of the film comes when Scratch the Rat (whose silent comedy routines in the vein of Tex Avery/WB cartoons continue to be the series highlight) accidentally cracks the singular continent Pangea into the world we know today. Manny Diego and Sid find themselves stranded on an iceberg once again forced on a road trip journey of survival. The rest of the herd embarks to meet them giving Steffie time to realize the true meaning of friendship with help from her mole pal Louis (Josh Gad).
The ham-handed lessons may drag for those who've passed Kindergarten but Ice Age: Continental Drift is a lot of fun when the main gang crosses paths with a group of villainous pirates. (Back then monkeys rabbits and seals were hitting the high seas together pillaging via boat-shaped icebergs. Obviously.) Quickly Ice Age becomes an old school pirate adventure complete with maritime navigation buried treasure and sword fights. Gut (Peter Dinklage) an evil ape with a deadly... fingernail leads the evil-doers who pose an entertaining threat for the familiar bunch. Jennifer Lopez pops by as Gut's second-in-command Shira the White Tiger and the film's two cats have a chase scene that should rouse even the most apathetic adults. Hearing Dinklage (of Game of Thrones fame) belt out a pirate shanty may be worth the price of admission alone.
With solid action (that doesn't need the 3D addition) cartoony animation and gags out the wazoo Ice Age: Continental Drift is entertainment to enjoy with the whole family. Revelatory? Not quite. Until we get a feature length silent film of Scratch's acorn pursuit we may never see a "classic" Ice Age film but Continental Drift keeps it together long enough to tell a simple story with delightful flare that should hold attention spans of any length. Massive amounts of sugar not even required.
[Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox]

This year is arguably the biggest for superhero cinema since the inception of the genre. Not only did we finally get The Avengers, the film for which nearly the entirety of Marvel’s four-year film slate was a precursor, but we’re also getting the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises.
Sandwiched between these two events, Marvel has rebooted a character that served as one of its first big-screen success stories with Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man. More so than in recent years, it is impossible to go to the theater, watch TV, or buy a Slurpee without running headlong into a superhero or two.
They're all the perfect lead in to San Diego Comic-Con, a convention that began life as a celebration of comic books, the origins of these heroes, that has morphed into a giant Hollywood trade show. Given that superhero films are now such an enormous industry, they are doubly promoted under this new focus.
This cash cow of an industry began branching out a few years ago. It’s not just the well-known heroes, the pop culture mainstays, that are being transported from the colorful page to the silver screen; independent and original properties have similarly found their way to the multiplexes, many after a quick pit stop in San Diego.
One such property was Mark Millar’s Kick-Ass, which, after being featured at Comic-Con, hit theaters in April of 2010 (but can now be found on Netflix's Watch Instantly).
So why did The Avengers make over one billion dollars and Kick-Ass squeaked by with a gross only $18 million beyond its budget? Obviously, one deals with vastly more recognizable characters and can enjoy the benefit of a leviathan marketing machine.
But why doesn’t the average film-goer, one who is not particularly versed in comics, beat the drum for Kick-Ass and celebrate it? I fear we may be dealing with one of cinema’s greatest villains here: expectation. The antagonist of many clever, unique films is the disparity between what’s on the screen and what the audience is expecting. The unfortunate position for Kick-Ass is that it resides in a genre flush with very specific expectations.
Much of the comic book film fare in existence today relies upon its action scenes and otherwise popcorn-inhaling, crowd-pleasing material. Kick-Ass, while featuring a few memorable fight sequences, is far more a spoof, a commentary of superhero movies, than it is the archetypal superhero movie.
It dissects the specific elements of the superhero narrative and shines a light on those things that are actually incredibly complex and difficult that most of these films treat as foregone conclusions. For example, why is it that so many superheroes fall so naturally into crime fighting despite not ever having operated within any law enforcement capacity before obtaining their superpowers? One of the most hilarious scenes in this regard is the one wherein Dave is casing the neighborhood with flyers, trying to find a lost cat.
These moments humanize our hero in a way few other comic book movies even attempt, but at the expense of thrills. Sure, it’s more exciting to watch Batman dart through a shipyard, snatching up criminals in the night with ease despite it being his first outing, but that’s not the tone Kick-Ass is trying to strike, regardless of what its title may seem to espouse.
If people went into Kick-Ass expecting a more mainstream hero formula, their estimation of the film is going to be greatly diminished. That in no way amounts to a strike against Kick-Ass, but it may partially explain why the average movie consumer does not have high praise for the film readily upon their lips.
The other element of Kick-Ass that runs counter to the traditional superhero film mold is its rating. Kick-Ass is an R-rated, studio superhero film; a phrase you do not hear on a regular basis. Even at its absolute darkest, the most Nolan’s Batman franchise could muster was a PG-13 rating… and that’s a story about a grown man choosing to be a hero. Kick-Ass is about a high school kid admirably out to make his world a better place by using his gifts to defend truth and justice. For his efforts, he gets beaten half to death in brutal, explicit detail. Meanwhile, his surrogate hero mentor is set on fire and dies next to him while a young girl shoots people in the head.
This type of severe violence, simultaneously toward and at the hands of children, is an extreme diversion from the content of the standard superhero film. Audiences expect a certain amount of combat in these movies, but they are often comprised of fantasy battle with the damage concealed by latex or Iron Man’s metal suit. The consequences in Kick-Ass are strikingly apparent and serve as a compelling argument against heroism; a rather pessimistic view of its own subject matter. This creates a mood and stark imagery that opposes why most people go see these films in the first place.
Of course, there are those who would argue that Kick-Ass is simply not a quality film, and, film being as subjective as any other art form, this is a legitimate stance. However, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that what kept the movie from latching on with a large contingent of movie-goers was that it didn’t play by the rules, and was sold as something it was not. A movie about a superhero, perhaps. But a "superhero movie?" Not quite. [Image Credit: Lionsgate] More: Comic-Con 2012: The Web's Most Anticipated SDCC Panels 'The Dark Knight Rises' Notes Stoke Possible John Blake/Batman Connection Marc Webb on Setting 'Amazing Spider-Man' Up for a Sequel Kick-Ass